Information processing systems having a voice generating capability are presently employed as answering machines, voice messaging systems, voice response units and in general as intelligent peripherals. The voice signal may be prerecorded on audio tape or may be digitized, compressed and stored, for example, on a magnetic disk.
A typical application couples the information processing system to one or more phone lines, the system detecting the occurrence of a ring signal and answering the phone. Often a standard prompt voice message is sent to the phone line. Depending on the type of system the caller may depress certain buttons on a Touch-Tone phone set in order to inform the system of a specific type of action desired by the user. For example, after hearing the message, the information processing system may have access to a large data base, such as a data base containing stock quotations. The caller may signal the system to access one or more quotations from the data base whereafter the system converts the quotation to an audio voice signal which is output to the caller's phone line.
As can be appreciated, for such systems the interaction between a caller and the system may become quite complex. As a relatively simple example, if the caller desires to learn if any voice messages are stored for the caller the system may respond with a voice signal such as "you have three new voice messages". In generating this response the number "three" is a variable which is determinable at the time that the caller is connected to the system.
Furthermore, the word "messages" is also a variable in that if only one voice message is pending the singular form "message" should be returned and not the plural form. It can thus be appreciated that the ability to accurately define a series of system responses to an incoming call is an important aspect of such a voice response system.
Also, it is preferable that a voice applications writer be able to create and modify the system responses in a relatively uncomplicated and time efficient manner. That is, the operator of the system should be able to interact with the voice response system to create and modify voice responses in a manner which does not require the direct assistance of the provider of the system or the direct assistance of skilled programming personnel.
Many business applications can be automated with voice processing technology. A business can use voice processing equipment to call its clients and deliver or solicit information. Alternatively, business customers can call into a firm's voice processing unit to obtain information, place orders, or transfer to human service agents or other response equipment. Other applications can employ voice processing equipment to exchange information with other call handling equipment without human intervention.
In most cases, the call originating or call transferring automated equipment must be able to communicate information to a user on the basis of dynamic information entered by a user. An example of a prior art call processing system that can benefit from incorporating the subject invention is U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,001, which discloses a voice editing data system using a display system for editing recorded speech. U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,209 discloses another system for editing voice data. U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,952 discloses yet one more text editing system for editing recorded voice signals. U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,604 discloses yet another voice message handling system which includes voice prompts. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,558 describes a speech file downloading system wherein static voice prompts are recorded.
All of the aforementioned systems have a common shortcoming. They have no dynamic voice prompt capability. The subject invention overcomes this limitation by providing dynamic voice prompts.